Choices
by spikes-slayer29590
Summary: Spike gets sent to the oracles who give him a reward for saving the world. He gets to become human and is sent to Buffy, but when Angel shows up human as well, who will Buffy choose? SPUFFY!
1. Rewards

**DISCLAIMER:**I do not own any of the buffy/angel universe (unfortunately) they belong to Joss Whedon, however, since i am such a nice person, i am willing to take Spike aka James Marsters off his hands free of charge

**SUMMARY:** Spike gets sent to the oracles who give him a choice as his reward for saving the world

**AUTHORS NOTE:** I came up with this story and just had to write it down, if you like it, please let me know and i'll keep going!

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**Chapter one: Rewards**

Spike opened his eyes and stood up.

He looked around, trying to find out where he was, but everything was black, even with his super vampire night time vision he couldn't see a thing.

"William" he heard a male and female voice say at the same time

"What's going on? Where am I? Who are you?" He asked them, sounding more panicky than he intended

"William, we are the oracles, we are messengers from the powers that be" they told him.

Spike turned around, trying to determine where the voices were coming from but they echoed all around him

"You are on a dimensional plane, somewhere in between life and death; do you remember fighting with Angel against the demons?" They asked him

"Oh yeah, let me guess, you're here to talk my ears off before you send me to hell, am I right?"

"Quite the contrary William, you sacrificed yourself to save the world twice, we are here to give you a reward…a choice"

"A choice?" he asked, trying not to sound as interested as he was "in what?"

"You're in love with the slayer, aren't you? "I don't see what that has to do with anything, but, yes, I love her" Spike said

"Then that is your choice" the oracles told him

At this point Spike was getting really annoyed with all the cryptic mumbo-jumbo they were telling him

"Ok, do you want to tell me that again, this time, with a little bit more information?"

"You get a choice William, you can shan-shu, become human, and we will send you to your slayer. You will still have the strength, the enhanced senses, the ability to fight and protect the lower beings, and the guilt from your past wiped away, but you will be mortal"

"So that's it then, I can have the choice to be a guilt-free human, happy with the woman that I love?" he asked them, knowing that there would be a catch

"Yes, you can choose to become human, or you can choose Angel and we will make him human in your place"

"What? What kind of a choice is that? He asked them

"It is the one that we are giving you, which of you do you chose?"

Spike closed his eyes for minute, memories of his sweet, golden slayer filling his mind, she was everything to him, and all he wanted was for her to love him.

"Angel" he told them

"What?" the oracles asked him, shocked by his answer

"You heard me, make Angel human and send him to Buffy"

"You are willing to give up every bit of love and happiness that you could ever experience for him? Why?"

"No, not for him, for her. I love her, but she doesn't love me, she can never love me, she loves Angel, and if it's him that makes her happy, then that's what I want" he told them, unshed tears in his beautiful blue eyes

"Very well, if you want your slayer to be happy, then that's what you get. Once again you have proven yourself worthy. Good luck, William"

Before Spike had the chance to say or do anything, his world started spinning, he was blinded by a bright white light then…BANG! He landed on a cold hard floor.

He didn't move, didn't want to think about what he had just given up. He could still see her in his mind, he could even smell her.

"s-spike?" he heard someone softly say his name

He sat up and turned around and that's when he saw her, she was here, his slayer was here, standing in front of him, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Spike, you're here?" she asked him before wrapping her arms around him and hugging him. Spike closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry onto his shoulder

"Spike, I thought I'd lost you" she cried

They stayed in each others arms until Buffy pulled away with a shocked look on her tear strained face

"Spike…you…you have a heartbeat" she told him, hands on his chest

Spikes hands flew up to his pulse point on his neck and sure enough, his heart was beating. He looked into Buffy's eyes

"Buffy" he whispered, before passing out on the floor.

Before Buffy could react, the front door burst open and someone walked in out of the sun

"Angel?" Buffy asked

"I'm…I'm alive" he told her, before, he to, passed out on the floor


	2. Explaining time

**Chapter two: Explaining time**

Spike stirred in his sleep. He smelt his slayers scent in the air and felt the presence of a warm body beside him; he moved over and draped his arm over the body without opening his eyes.

Angel was also asleep when he felt an arm wrap around him possessively. He smelt Buffy in the room somewhere and noticed that it was a warm body that hugged him. He smiled and turned around to face the person next to him, he opened his eyes and saw Spikes blue ones staring back at him.

"Aaaaaargh" they both yelled at the same time, moving away from each other so quickly that Spike fell out of bed and landed with a bang on the floor. Buffy had heard the yelling and had rushed into her bedroom to find out what was wrong, she saw Angel sitting on the bed and Spike lying down on the floor rubbing his head, she rushed over to him and helped him back on the bed, ignoring the scowl that Angel directed towards Spike.

"Spike, what happened? Are you ok?" she asked

"I'm fine" Spike replied when Buffy was done checking for injuries "I just woke up snuggling with peaches there and it scared the crap out of me and I fell off the bed"

Buffy gave Spike a strange look, then look towards Angel then back to Spike before bursting out laughing

"You…you two were making with the snugglies in your sleep?" she asked them both between laughs

"I thought it was you" the both replied defensively at the same time, obviously unimpressed by her laughing. Buffy's giggles subsided when she caught the looks on Spike and Angels faces

"Sorry, but it is kind of funny" she told them, shrugging her shoulders

"Care to explain what happened?" Spike asked her, deliberately ignoring her previous comment

"I could ask you two the same thing" she told them, Angel and Spike gave her a look that said neither one of them knew what she was talking about, she sighed and sat down at the end of the bed

"Well, the last I knew, Spike was a big pile of dust amongst the rubble that was once Sunnydale, then, he comes out of nowhere and lands on my lounge room floor, then, before I can ask what happened, he passes out, then, Angel, who last I heard was working for an evil law firm in LA bursts in through my front door and also passes out. So, I carry you both into my bedroom and dump you on the bed so I can wait for you to wake up and the rest I guess you know. By the way, are you aware that you both have a heartbeat now?" she asked them calmly

Spike and Angel looked at each other before their hand flew up to feel the pulse points at their necks, Buffy just smiled at the look of shock and amazement on their faces.

When they had both verified the fact that they were indeed alive, they looked towards Buffy

"You seem to be taking this quite well" Spike noted, a hint of confusion in his voice

"Yeah, you don't seem to be too shocked" Angel agreed

"Well, the two of you have been out of it for almost three hours now" Buffy told them after looking at the watch on her left wrist "I've had time to be shocked, happy, worried, confused, amazed, then, I had pacing time, then here was punching time, then there was incoherent rambling time, but now, I thinks it's explaining time" she told them

"Buffy, I don't know how this happened or why I'm here exactly, but I will be more than happy to help you find out what's going on as soon as I have something to eat" Angel pleaded with her

"Sure, there's food in the kitchen, help yourself" she told him, Angel didn't reply, he just rushed out of the room to try and find the kitchen, Buffy giggled slightly before turning her attention back to Spike

"You hungry?" she asked him

"Not really, but I remember what happened and I think I may be able to help you with the explaining part"

"Ok, shoot" buffy told him

"Ok, it goes like this…" Spike began

Spike told the story from the beginning, when he was brought back to LA and was incorporeal right up to when he had met with the oracles and made his choice, purposefully leaving out the bit about coming to Rome, he didn't think she would cope with that to well.

Buffy was silent through the entire story and was hanging off his every word, when he was finished, she just stared at him, mouth hanging open in shock. After she hadn't said anything for a little while, Spike got worried

"Are, are you going to say anything luv" he asked her nervously

Without warning, Buffy's fist collided with his nose and he clutched in pain and to try and stop the blood from coming. He then gave her one of those are-you-completely-off-you-bird looks

"Bloody hell Summers, what was that for" He asked once his nose had stopped bleeding

"I'm sorry, but how do you expect me to react? I tell you that I love you, and you leave me, then you show up and I am so happy to see you again, then I realize you're human now and then Angel comes in and he's the same" she started, now up off the bed and pacing the room

"You tell me that you came back and didn't come to see me, then you tell me you had a choice between you and Angel and you picked him, didn't you want to come back to me?" she asked, trying to hold back the tears

"Of course I did, I love you, I always wanted to come back to you"

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because I wanted you to be able to have a normal life, that's why I didn't come to you the first time, then chose Angel over myself because I just want you to be happy no matter what" he told her truthfully

"You sound like Angel, it's not your choice what I do with my life, and what makes you think you get to chose what's going to make me happy?" she told him angrily

"Buffy, luv, first, stop pacing, you're making me dizzy" he told her, standing up and grabbing her shoulders to stop her from moving, she stopped pacing

"Thankyou, second, I did what I did for you pet, it's always for you, isn't a chance to be with Angel what you want?" He asked her

"I don't know, like you said, the day I do suss out what I want there will probably be a parade, I can't believe you chose Angel over yourself, you were really going to give up a chance to become human to do what you thought would make me happy?" she asked

"I did" he told her

"Thankyou, that means a lot to me, but it still doesn't mean you get to chose who I want to be with" she told him

"So, this is it then, they made you both human, it's a forever deal?"

"I don't know, it was only supposed to be peaches, but because we're both here, I really don't know" he told her

"Then we'll have to figure it out, I should call Giles and see if he has any information on this shitzu prophecy" she told him

"shan-shu" Spike corrected

"Right, shan-shu" there was a long pause before Buffy spoke up again

"Spike, I…"

"So, do we know what's happening?" Angel asked as he re-entered the room, chewing on an apple

"No, I, um, I need to find Giles, I'll be back in a minute" she said before leaving the room

Angel and Spike both went back to sitting on the bed, staying as far away from each other as possible

"So peaches, I thought you'd be more shocked, what's up with the calm, cool and collected routine?" Spike asked

"Well, I have no idea what's going on, plus, I've been human before, it was a couple of years ago, I got to spend the day with Buffy, but I asked the oracles to take it back, I'm the only one who remembers" he told Spike calmly

"Why would you have given that up?" Spike asked

"I love her, I'd do anything to protect her" Angel told him flatly

"I know what you mean mate"

They both sat on the bed, Angel was munching on his apple and Spike was getting increasingly annoyed by the chewing sounds.


	3. Giles to the rescue

**Disclaimer: **i, unfortunately do not own Buffy or any of the buffy/angel characters...they all belong to Joss Whedon

**Author's note:** ok, 1: i am so so so sorry that i haven't updated in, like, forever and a day, but i've been having a bit of trouble writing, but everything is ok now and i promise to never make you wait that long again.

**2:** thanks to all the people who have reviewed this story, it means so much to me, your reviews are my motivation and my inpiration...you guys rock!

**3rd:** I wasn't really sure about this chapter but decided to post it anyway, if there is anyone out there still reading this story, please review and let me know what you thought...good or bad

**4th:** at the moment i am typing up chapters for all of my stories plus finishing off another one so i will hopefully put them all on within the next few days

thanks for taking the time to read this and now...on with the show.

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**Chapter three: Giles to the rescue**

Buffy walked into the lounge room and headed in the direction of the phone.

Giles was currently residing in England, but at the present moment in time was in Rome on council business and was staying in a motel nearby.

She pulled open the draw of the phone stand and took out the card that had the motels phone number and dialled and waited for the person at the service desk to patch her through to Giles' room.

After a few moments of ringing, he finally picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Giles its Buffy"

"Oh Buffy, how are you"

"Um, I've been better" she told him truthfully

"What's wrong?" Giles asked, suddenly very concerned

"You know how when you came back to Sunnydale and I said that one day we will see each other when something bad, apocalyptic or majorly freaky is going on?"

"Yes"

"Well, today isn't that day" she sighed "could you possibly come here with whatever books you have on prophecy's involving vampires with souls?"

"Ok, I don't have a lot with me, but I could bring some that may help with what you're trying to do" he said

"Thanks Giles that would be great"

"Just one thing though Buffy, what is it that you are trying to do?" Giles asked, with a hint of amusement in his voice

"Oh sorry, I must have left out that small detail, maybe you should wait til you get here before I tell you"

"If you tell me now, I'll some idea of what books I need to bring" he said, and hearing Buffy sigh again knew he had won this little debate

"Fine, Angel showed up on my doorstep today as well as the supposed-to-be-dead Spike and they are both human" Buffy told him and stayed quiet so Giles had time to absorb the information, but after a full moment of silence, she began to worry

"Uh, Giles, you still with me?"

"Oh dear Lord"

"Yeah, kind of hard to take in, which is why I need your help"

"Oh dear Lord" she heard him say again

"Ok Giles, relax, I need you sane" Buffy told him

"Oh dear Lord, I'll be right there" and before Buffy had the chance to answer the line went dead, she shook her head, hung up the phone and went back into her room

"Did you get a hold of the watcher" Spike asked

"Yeah, he'll be here soon" Buffy told him, sitting on the end of the bed again

"Did you tell him about us?" Angel asked

"Yeah, he was a little shocked…to say the least, there was quite a few 'Oh dear Lords' then he hung up on me" she told them before directing her attention to Spike "can you tell them what happened when Giles gets here? I think he needs to know, and if Angel knows to maybe he could help us find some answers"

"Sure pet" Spike replied

"Thanks"

"What are you talking about? What does Spike know that I don't?" Angel asked, a little jealous that he was being left out of something between Buffy and Spike

"I'm not telling the story again so you can wait til Giles gets here peaches" Spike told him with a smirk

"Uh, Buffy, I'm just curious, but the Immortal isn't going to be showing up any time soon is he? Something tells me he wouldn't be to happy to see us" Angel asked

Buffy turned to look at Spike who had his head hung down, not making eye contact with her

"How did you guys know about me and the Immortal?" she asked, slightly angry at Spike for bypassing that detail in his previous recount

"Oh, we came to Rome a few months ago to save you from him, only to find out you were dating him" Angel told her

"Oh, well you don't have to worry about him, we broke up ages ago, it was never serious" she told them, afraid that Spike had been hurt when he found out

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that" Angel told her, not at all being truthful, and judging by the look Buffy was sending his way, he knew she didn't believe him

There was an awkward silence in the room before Buffy spoke up

"So, how are you two feeling?"

"I'm ok, you know, a little dazed and I have a really bad stomach ache…remind me not to eat chocolate and apples together again" Angel said, placing a hand on his stomach, Buffy giggled a little before asking Spike the same question

"I'm ok, better when your watcher gets here I think" Spike said

"I agree, I think as soon as Giles gets here and we straighten things out, we'll all feel a lot better" Buffy said and as if on cue, there was a knock on the door

"Speak of the devil" Buffy said before exiting the room to answer the door

Buffy opened the door and was greeted by an armful of books which she assumed were hiding Giles.

She stepped aside and he entered the house and dumped the books on the table

"That was a quick trip" Buffy commented

"Yes, I wanted to get here as soon as possible, I may of sped a little" Giles admitted

"Giles! I am shocked" Buffy teased him "thank you for doing this though"

"That's quite alright, I…Oh dear Lord"

Buffy turned to look behind her and noticed that Spike and Angel had appeared from the bedroom, she turned to face Giles who had a shocked expression on his face and had visibly paled

"Uh, hi Giles" Angel greeted weakly

"Hey watcher" Spike greeted a lot louder

"I, uh, oh dear Lord" was all Giles could manage to say

Spike gave him a funny look before turning to Buffy

"I thought you told him about us?" he asked her

"I did" she replied defensively

"Then why is he so weird?" Angel asked quietly

"Sorry, Buffy did tell me that you were back but it's somewhat of a shock to actually see you for myself" Giles explained. There was along pause, Buffy sighed knowing she would have to be the one to take control

"ok guys, grab the books and go into the lounge room, Spike explain to Giles and Angel what happened and I will bring us something that is full of caffeine" she told them, happy that they followed her instructions

Buffy stood in the kitchen leaning against the bench waiting for the kettle to boil. She ran her right hand through her hair and closed her eyes.

What was she going to do? Of course she was happy to see Spike and Angel again and having them back as human was truly wonderful but she had never felt so torn. She never thought she would've gotten the chance to see Spike again, it had hurt her so much when he hadn't believed that she loved him, she had dreamt so many times about getting him back and what she would say to him but now, he was back in her life for real and she had no idea what she could say.

And to make matters worse, Angel was back, he was finally human and they had a chance to be together, it was what she always wanted but she wasn't so sure she wanted it anymore, she was so confused and didn't even know if either of them wanted to be with her still, she was sure Spike was hurt when he found out about her and the immortal and her and Angel had been apart for years. Tears formed in her eyes but she rapidly blinked them away, now was not the time to break down, she had to be strong.

Buffy was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of the kettle boiling and set about making coffees for everyone except Giles who had a cup of tea.

She walked back in to the lounge room carrying the beverages on a tray and was met by everyone's confused looks.

"What's the what?" she asked, placing the tray down onto the table

"Well, Spike just finished telling his recount of events and well…" Giles started but suddenly seemed at a loss for words

"It isn't possible" Angel said

"What isn't?" Buffy asked curiously, taking a seat next to Giles

"it isn't possible that I'm here, alive and human, I wasn't supposed to be the one in the prophecy, in order to become a member of the Black Thorn and take down Wolfram and Hart I had to sign away my part in the prophecy, meaning I would never get it" Angel explained

"Did you know about this?" Buffy asked Spike

"No, I didn't, but maybe it doesn't matter because he didn't receive the shan-shu prophecy, it was given to him" Spike suggested with a shrug of his shoulders

"Well, what does the prophecy actually say?" Buffy asked

"Well, we don't have a definite translation of it but..." Giles began, leaning over to grab an old looking book "what I can translate basically says that a vampire with a soul will avert the apocalypse, save the world and be made human as his reward, but it doesn't name anyone specifically, so it could be referring to either Spike or Angel seeing as they both fulfilled it, so it seems that Spike was rewarded because Angel signed his chance away" Giles said without thinking

"So, I don't deserve it then, I was just second best and the only choice they had left" Spike said seeming upset

"There's no way to know for sure" Angel said, feeling the need to make him feel better, after all, he did owe Spike a lot "It could have been you"

"Doubtful" Spike grumbled, he always had to come second best to Angel

"Spike, you both fulfilled the prophecy, so therefore you both deserve it, there's no telling which one of you would have gotten it had Angel been in the running" Buffy told him

"Actually there may be a way to find out" Angel said, being suddenly struck by an idea, Giles, who had been rather quiet up until that point seemed suddenly very interested

"And how is that?" Giles asked

"Well, we could go and visit the oracles and ask them" Angel said, feeling very proud of himself

"And you know a way that we could contact them?" Giles asked him

"Yeah, you just have to find the gateway and go in, but you have to take a gift" Angel told him, deciding it wasn't a good idea to leave out that little detail

"And there is a gate way here in Rome?" Giles asked

"There should be, there is a gateway in every city, I'm not exactly sure where but we could do a locator spell to find it" Angel suggested

"Ok the, we'll do that" Giles said, rising from his chair "Lets go"

"Um Giles, could I maybe stay here?" Buffy asked "I'm a little tired"

"Of course Buffy, it is rather late and you've no doubt had a very long day, you stay here and Spike, Angel and I will go and come back as soon as we have spoken to the oracle" Giles told her

"What are we gonna give the buggers?" Spike asked

"Oh I know" Buffy exclaimed, rising from her seat and walking over to her weapons chest and pulling out a battle axe

"Here, this should do" she said, handing the axe to Spike

"Are you sure you're willing to give away one of your axes pet?" Spike asked, knowing how attached she became to weapons

"Yeah" she replied with a shrug of her shoulders "It's never been one of my favourites"

"Ok then, let's go" Giles said, eager to find some answers

Buffy walked them to the door and shut it behind them. She leaned her back against it and slid down, finally letting her tears fall

* * *

Giles had driven around the city trying to find a magic shop and once they were finally successful they brought the supplies they needed and completed the spell to find the gateway to the oracles. 

As they were driving, Giles pinched the bridge of his nose trying to prevent the headache he was getting, caused by the two incredible immature people sitting in the back seat arguing about directions.

"Would you both bloody well shut up, I am the one driving therefore I will decide what direction we will take: Giles snapped then let out a sigh of relief when the bickering stopped, but it didn't last long.

"Nice going poof, you made Giles mad" Spike accused

"Well Spike, if you weren't trying to argue with me he wouldn't be mad so it's you fault" Angel retaliated. Giles sighed again and shook his head giving up, for two people who were so old, the acted really childish sometimes.

He eyed them in the rear-view mirror, Giles believed that their fighting was just a cover up, he thought the only reason they fought was because they enjoyed it.

After Spike had died back in Sunnydale, Giles had discovered a newfound respect for the then vampire and regretted not making more of an effort to see and accept his changes when he had the chance, at first he hadn't believed Buffy when she was so certain he was a changed man, but now, after seeing and hearing about his sacrifices, he had no doubt in his mind what so ever. He did however feel sorry for Buffy, it must have been a huge shock for her, having the two people she had ever loved back as human, it couldn't be easy so he decided he would help her in any way he could to make this easier on her.

They finally arrived to the place where the gateway was supposed to be and ventured underground into the sewers. It didn't take them long to find what they were looking for, it was a huge marble archway that was sealed off.

"Why is it always under the post office?" Angel wondered aloud and was rewarded with strange looks from both Giles and Spike

"Ok, do we have the gift ready?" Giles asked, eyeing the axe that Spike held up and deliberately trying to avoid Angel's previous question "and we have the incantation to open rhe gateway, now, which one of you is going to go in?" he continued waiting for a reply which never came

"I'm not doing it, it has to be a champion remember" Giles told them firmly

"Yeah, or someone who is really smart and has helped save the world multiple times, say, a watcher" Angel hinted hopefully

"Oh fine, I'll do it, give me the axe" Giles said, not in the mood for another argument

Spike handed Giles the axe as Angel did the incantation, the gateway opened and Giles cautiously entered.

* * *

"Hey Spike?" Angel said as they awaited Giles' return 

"What?" Spike snapped, really not in the best of moods

"Um, I just, and I, I mean…" Angel stuttered

"Spit it out" Spike said impatiently

"Thankyou" Angel told him, Spike turned around to face him

"I know we've had our differences in the past, but this, what you did, even if you didn't do it for me, I still appreciate it so much and I just…thankyou" Angel told him, certain there were no words to express how grateful he truly was

"Uh, you're welcome" Spike replied uncomfortably, he really wasn't used to touching, heartfelt thankyou moments with the grand sire, but decided it was something he could get used to

* * *

Giles stepped into the bright room and blinked a few times to try and adjust his eyes. 

"What have you brought us lower being?" asked one of the oracles as they stepped forward

"I have brought you a battle axe, it is extremely old and used in combat by the slayer" Giles told them, rasing the hand that held the axe in it and watched as it flew from his grasp

"I like it, a very powerful weapon indeed" the female oracle said as Giles breathed a sigh of relief

"Ask your question" Said the male, who was nowhere near as friendly as the other one

"I am here to inquire into the shan-shu prophecy" Giles told them

"Ah, you want to know why both vampires were made human instead of just one" the female said

"Yes, from what Spike has told us, it was only supposed to be Angel who was brought back"

"that is correct, William was supposed to shan-shu, but gave up so Angel could take his place, Angel did not receive his life, it was given to him"

"Then why is Spike here?" Giles asked confused

"William made a great sacrifice, he was giving up his chance to be human, be with the woman he loves and have a life of his own, we felt he needed to be rewarded for it, so we made him human, it is now up to the girl to decide who she gives her heart to"

"It's a permanent thing then, they are human forever?" Giles asked, wanted to check

"They will live their lives out as humans, they still possess the strength to protect the lower beings, they're are champions and will live that way until they die a mortal death" the male answered

"So…" Giles began

"Your question has been answered" the male oracle continued and with a wave of his hand Giles was back outside the gate-way where Angel and Spike were waiting

"What did they say Giles?" Angel asked as he helped him lift Giles up from the floor

"Spike chose you to shan-shu but as a reward for his sacrifice, he was made human as well" Giles explained, choosing to leave out the bit about Buffy and the part about Spike being the real one chosen, that would just create arguments and competition.

"So, it's real? We're human forever?" Spike asked

"Yes, that's what they said; you will live and die as humans but still maintain the strength as a champion"

Both Angel and Spike were silent for a few moments, letting this new information sink in…it was real, they were alive and now they both had a shot at getting Buffy to be theirs.

Spike knew he had little chance of succeeding, his and Buffy's relation-ship was never a simple one, and now tall dark and forehead was a real boy, she would never choose him, but that did not mean he wouldn't try.

Angel knew that Spike was hurting, Buffy would never choose Spike over him, he just hoped she let him down gently.

"We should really get back to Buffy" Giles said, pulling them out of their thought, they didn't reply but followed him back to the car

When they arrived back at Buffy's after a strangely silent ca ride, Giles used the spare key to let himself into the house and found Buffy asleep with her head resting on an open book

"She must have been tired" Angel whispered as he and Spike walked inside and spotted Buffy's sleeping form

"Yes, she has had a long day, you two were a big shock for herm there is no doubt that she would be emotionally drained" Giles told them "Angel, will you carry her to her bedroom? Spike I want to speak with you"

Spike wasn't to keen on letting Angel be the one to Carry Buffy, but let it go due to the serious tone in Giles' voice

When Angel was out of hearing range Giles spoke up

"I just wanted to say thankyou" Giles said, shocking Spike "and that I'm sorry, I really admire you, making the choices that you have and doing what you've done, you are certainly a better man than I ever gave you credit for"

"Um, thanks, I guess, I'm sorry, I'm just not use to all this 'thank Spike' stuff" Spike admitted shyly

"I know, but I wish to make up for the past, I'd be willing to give you a second chance if you can find it in yourself to give me one" Giles said, extending his hand, he hadn't believed Buffy when she told him Spike had changed, but now, he truly knew he had. Spike accepted the given hand and shook it

"Deal" he said, unable to form any other words

They both headed off for the kitchen to celebrate with a glass of scotch

* * *

Angel scooped Buffy up in his arms and smiled when she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, he carried her into the bedroom and placed her gently onto the bed and covered her with a blanket. He watched her for a few moments before leaning down to kiss her forehead. 

"Spike" Buffy mumbled in her sleep, Angel leant in closer so he could hear

"I wasn't lying, when I told you I loved you" she whispered before turning over and snuggling into the blanket

Angel stood up and walked over to the door, perhaps his future with Buffy wasn't as certain as he had hoped; maybe she did have feelings for Spike?

It didn't matter though, nothing was going to get in Angels way, he was human now and he was going to make sure Buffy was his girl again, even if he had to fight Spike for that chance.


End file.
